Mixing apparatus



Au 28, 1923. 1,466.638 M F. A. BROWNE MIXING APPARATUS Filed July 18.1921 2 Sh -Sheet 1 FIG. I 131535; 12

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WITNESSES:

Aug. 28, 1923. 1,466.638

- F. A. BROWNE MIXING APPARATUS Filed July 18 1921 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2FIGf-l BY p r a? flaming.

Patented Aug. 2%, N23.

UNWEE FRANK A. EROWNE, OF WAYNE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BARBERASPHALT COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPOFIATIQN @F WESTVIRGINIA.

MIXING APPARATUS.

Application filed Jul is, 1921. Serial no. esane.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANK A. Browns,

a citizen of the United States, residing in Wayne, in the county ofDelaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mixing Apparatus, whereof the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompalpying drawings. yinvention relates to mixing apparatus, and is concerned with apparatusespecially suitable for mixing asphaltic or bituminous pavingcompositions, such as crushed stone and fluxed asphalt, for example. Iaim to make the apparatus simple, eflective, durable, and convenient inservice, and to enable-it to be quickly and readily filled and emptied.How these and other advantages can be obtained through my invention willappear from my description hereinafter of the best embodiment of theinvention at present known to me.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a plan view of a mixer constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. H shows a longitudinal vertical section through the apparatus,taken as indicated by the line 11-11 in Fig. l.

Fig. III is aside elevation, certain parts being broken away in places,or omitted entirely, to reveal parts behind them.

Fig. TV shows a transverse section through the apparatus, taken asindicated by the line lV-IV in Fig. I.

The mixer shown in the drawings comprises an open-topped tank 10 intowhich the material to be mixed can be readily shovelled or dumped. Inthe tank 10 are a con 1e of rotary a 'tators 11, 12, shown as sustantially horizontal and parallel. These agitators 11, 12 are justalike, and each of them comprises a multiplicity of inclined mixingblade members 13 radiating at various angles from a square shaft 15whose rounded ends extend out through the tank ends 16 and are mountedin bearings 17 on brackets 18 which are attached to the ends of the tankand its base. The shafts 15 are removable through vertical slots in thetank ends 16 which are normally closed by detachable cover plates 19(Fig. TV). As shown, pairs of blade members 13 are set opposite oneanother and clamped end to end about each shaft 15 with their angles tothe same size, on the left-hand outboard ends of the shafts 15. Theagitator blades 13 on the two ends of each shaft 15 are oppositelyinclined in such a way that when the shafts turn over toward one anotherthe agitators tend to force the material being mixed from each end ofthe tank toward its center. Corresponding blades 13 on the two shafts 15are 90 apart, so that they do not interfere with one another when themixer is running-notwithstanding that the shafts are a: shorter distanceapart than twice the length of the blades. The agitators 11, 12 maybedriven from a power shaft 22, through a disconnectible clutch 23 and apinion 24 which meshes with a gear 25 on one outboard end of the rearshaft 15. As shown, the clutch 23 is operated by a lever 26 fulcrumed toa bracket 27 which is mounted on one of the longitudinal floor beams orgirders 28 that support the tank 10 and the whole machine.

Referrin now, more especially to Figs. I andlV, it will be observed thatthe tank bottom is rounded at 30, 30, coaxially (or substantially so)with each of the agitators 11, 12. As shown, the ti s of the revolvingblades 13 have just a air, safe working clearance with these roundedbilges 30, 30, so that no considerable amount of material can remainsticking to the tank walls undisturbed. -The curved bilges 30, 30 arelined with sheets 31 of wear-resistant material, and on the outside ofsaid bilges are mounted arc-shaped heating. chambers 33 (Fig. IV)consisting of approximately. concaved superposed metal sheets (onedished as shown) secured together and riveted to the metal tank walladjacent their edges. On occasion, steam heated water, or hot oil may beadmitted and circulated in these chambers 33 to keep the contents of thetank su fiiciently soft or fluid during prolonged murlng.

In the bottom of the tank 10, between the downward-sloping curved bilges30, 30, is a dump opening, here shown as centrally located and asextending from end to end of the tank. During the mixing operation, thisdump opening is closed by means of movable covers 35 which are slidablelengthwise of the tank, in the direction of the agitator axes. As shown,the upper surfaces 35, 36 of the cover 35 are concaved upward coaxiallywith the agitators ll, 12, and meet or intersect in a central elevatedline or ridge extending lengthwise of the tank 10. The covers 35, 35,are slidable lengthwise outward beneath the upright tank end 16, so asto render the full length of the dump opening available forautomatically emptying the tank 10 completely and expeditiously as theagitators l1, l2, revolve. The covers 35 are slidable as above describeddirectly in the dump opening itself, with their upper surfaces (formedby a protective sheet metal lining or wear plate 37 corresponding to thebilge linings 31 screwed fast to the covers proper) flush with the innersurfaces of the tank bilges. Curved Z bars 38 are secured to the outersides of the tank ends 16 with the edges of their depending flanges justclearing the surfaces of the covers 35. They are readily adjusted to anaccurate fit to take care of wear, etc., of the cover plate 37. The sideedges or margins of the covers are rabbetted at 39, and underlie orunderlap the corresponding edges of the dump opening in the tank bottomsomewhat. The covers 35 are supported on rails 40 extending lengthwiseof the tank beneath the edges of the dump opening, by means ofinterposed antifriction wheels or rollers 41 pivoted between metalstrips 42 which are adapted to move in shallow grooves in the covers 35and to overlap the edges of the rails 40. The rails 4:0 are secured byangle clips or brackets 43 to channel beams 44 extending lengthwisebeneath the tank, and the u per corners onedges 45 of the margins o thecovers 35 make a close sliding fit against these beams, so as to excludedirt from the rollers 41 and the rails 40 as much as possible. The beamsor girders 4A are secured at either end to depending portions 46 of thetank ends 16 (which latter rest on the floor beams 28), by means ofangle brackets or clips 4:7.

For moving the covers 35 quickly and easily, there are provided doubleacting] fluid piston motors 50, whose cylinders are mounted on channelcross-bars 52 attached to the beams 28 by angle clips or brackets 53.The piston rods 54; of these motors are connected to lugs or ribs 55depending from the covers 35, and braced therefrom by transverse andlongitudinal-webs 56. 57 Motive fluid (e. g., steam or compressed air)for operating the motors 50 is supplied through a system of piping 58and exhausted through a rneaeae system of piping 59, under-control oioscillatory valves 60 and 31, whose crank arms are connected to a commonactuating rod 62.

By shifting the rod 62 so as to turn the valves 30 and 61 through anangle of 909 one way or the other, the two covers 35 can besimultaneously opened or closed very quickly and easily. When they areboth open, the revolving blades will teed or sweep the entire contentsof the tank 10 into the dump opening in a very short time.

Water of condensation may be discharged from the cylinders of the motors50 through relief cocks 33 whose crank arms are connected to a commonactuating rod 64 operable through a rocker 65 by a rod 66.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim 2 l. A mixer havingsubstantially parallel rotary agitators, and comprising a tank with itsbottom rounded to conform and in closely spaced relation to theperipheral path of movement of each of said agitators and having a dumpopening between the downwardsloping bilges of said bottom, and a movableclosure for said openin having upper surfaces concaved arcuate y to formcircular continuations of the tank bottom surfaces and meeting in anelevated longitudinal ridge which intersects the peripheral path ofrotation of both agitators.

2. A. mixer having substantially parallel rotary agitators, and comrising a tank with its bottom rounded coaxially with each of saidagitators and a dump opening extending from end to end of said tankbetween the downward-sloping bilges of said bottom, and a pair ofclosures for said opening slidable lengthwise therein and in oppositedirections to uncover the opening and havin upper surfacesconcavedcoaxially with sai agitators and meetin in an elevated longitudinalridge, and a uid pressure means for each closure to operate the sameindepend.

ently of the other closure.

3. A mixer having substantially parallel rotary agitators, andcomprising a tank with its bottom rounded coaxially with each of saidagitators and a dump opening extending from end to end of said tankbetween the downward-sloping bilges of said bottom, a pair of closuresslidable endwise outward in opposite directions beneath the ends of thetank to allow it to be completely emptied throu h said opening.

4:. mixer having substantially parallel rotary agitators, and comprisinga tank withits bottom rounded coaxially with each of said agitators anda dump openin between the downward-sloping bil es of said bottom,support rails extending engthwise ofsaid tank beneath the opposite edgesof said openin a closure means for said openin slidab e lengthwise ofsaid tank, and whee s supporting theclosure and running on said rails.

menses Wheels supporting said underlepping side edges of the closure endrunning on the rails,

6. A mixer comprising at pair of rotary agitators, u'tonlr having itsbottom rounded to conform to the peripheral path of rotution of theagitators and hevin o dumping opening in its bottom well, n pen ofclosures forsaid opening, each having conoeved sides constitutingarcuate continuetions of the tank bottom, said closures abuttin et thetransverse medial line of the casing and opening in opposite directions,s cylinder and piston beneath each closure, end e connection betweeneach closure and its correlated piston.

7. A mixer comprising a pair of rotary agitators, n tunk hsving itsbottom end lower end walls rounded to conform to the periphersl peth ofrotetion of the agitators, said tunlr having an o ening in its bottomwell, a closure forsni opening slidsble endwise oil the tank and havingconceved sides forming srcuate continuetions of the tank bottomsurfaces, and joint forming pistes edjustebly fitted to the end wells ofthe tank for movenient tows-rd end away from the closure to effect attight compensetin joint between the closure end tenlr end wel s.

8.. A miner comprising o tnnlr, the opposed Wells of which ere formedwith opposed psirs of slots entering the edges of said Wells,

agitator shsits fitted in ssid tsnlr by passing the ends or the shortsthrough the slots, plates stilling sold slots end seated between theedges thereof subsequent to the insertion of the shetts, leterelextensions of the pistes bolted to said wells and bearings -forsupporting sold shafts.

9. ln .s, miner, s pair of spaced beams, e mixing ten s supported uponand between said beams end herring u lower dumping opening, e pnir ctrolls, each supported upon one of seid bennis, e sliding closure for thetenlr opening, and wheels supporting closure and running on ssid rails.

w. A rniser comprising agitators end tenlr hsving s rounded bottom and sdumping opening formed therein, e ridged slid eble closure for theopening, it reinforcing costing contorining to the outer surface of theclosure end secured thereto, rails, Wheels curried by said casting andrunning on said rells, e web formed with the costing, ti cylin der, ands piston end piston rod coopereting therewith, the letter he ring sconnection to the Web.

In. testimony whereof, 'l heve hereunto till tlil

